Kremlin acts to gag 'biased' coverage

With a new election season approaching, Russia's politicians have launched a pre-emptive attack on the rollicking, aggressive and sometimes corrupt political coverage by the nation's media.

The Kremlin abruptly silenced TVS, Russia's only remaining independent TV station, raising renewed concern for press freedom in Russia before a state visit to Britain by President Vladimir Putin.

The debt-ridden broadcaster, one of four main channels in Russia, was cut off during adverts at midnight on Saturday in a move that the press ministry said was "for the benefit of the audience" as TVS was in the throes of a financial crisis from which it could not recover. It will be replaced by a sports channel.

The lower house of the Russian Parliament, the Duma, also voted overwhelmingly last week to amend Russia's campaign laws to allow the closure of news groups whose campaign coverage is deemed to be biased.

A Kremlin official said that while Russia's mass media were not in the best condition, the Government's ultimate goal was "broad independent ownership" of outlets, that were self-sufficient through advertising.");document.write("

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While TVS was not a serious critic of the Government, it was the only TV outlet that might have caused trouble in the presidential election next year. Reporters regularly laid into Mr Putin on a Sunday news show.

Commentator Elena Afanasyeva, of the political journal Politburo said: "There is only one name behind this event, and that is Vladimir Vladimirovich Putin. There is only one (big businessman behind) Russian TV, and that is the state."

The new restrictions will for the first time punish news groups advocating one candidate over another, editorialising against a position or policy, or reporting critically on questions of character "not related to the candidate's professional duties".

While the first violation will result in a fine, the second may mean the suspension of a publication or broadcast for the duration of a campaign - a penalty that will be influenced heavily by officials answerable to the very politicians who drafted the amendments.

The restrictions raise questions not only about freedom of the press, but also about the fairness of elections in a country still struggling to establish basic democratic norms.

"Lawmakers abolished our constitutional right to comment on the policy programs of parties and candidates," an article in the newspaper Vremya said last week, "or to make predictions regarding the outcome of elections, or to warn voters about the possible consequences of a victory for any political force."

The amendments must still be approved by the upper house of the Russian Parliament, the Federation Council, and then signed by Mr Putin before becoming law.